I have stayed in various Hyatt hotel properties in the past and have been a member of its frequent guest loyalty program before I became known as a Decemberist or a Architecturalist or whatever the whatever I am in their World of Hyatt program; but I never stayed at a Hyatt Place — until now.
My First Time Staying at a Hyatt Place Hotel Property
I checked in at the front desk at the Hyatt Place Richmond/Chester hotel property in Virginia. To the right is the guest kitchen where breakfast is served every morning.
Access to the guest rooms is behind the front desk…
…as well as this semi-private quiet area — complete with a small television.
This is another view of the front desk on the left, which apparently becomes a bar of sorts on the right — and in the middle is a cooler which contains soft drinks, bottled water, salads and desserts for sale.
The Room
After I checked, I entered the room to which I was assigned. The first thing I noticed was that this was not a typical hotel room layout. Rather, it emulated a suite of sorts.
On my left as I entered the room was a kitchenette of sorts — complete with a miniature refrigerator, coffee maker and items to have a cup of hot coffee. Opposite this kitchenette was a desk with a rolling adjustable chair.
Different types of coffee and tea — as well as the appropriate condiments — were available in a small metal basket.
A closer view of the desk revealed a telephone, banker’s lamp, a notepad, a pen, an information placard, and above the desk were three powerful magnets on a strip to post anything of importance.
On the right was a sitting area contained a sofa shaped like an L, a nightstand with a robe wrapped in an orange band, and a small table which doubled as an ottoman.
A closer look at what is known as the Cozy Corner sofa-sleeper revealed that when lifting up the cushions, it can be opened up into a bed…
…complete with instructions on how to open up the bed, which can accommodate up to two additional people in the room — which is nice for a family of up to four people.
I turned around. The door in the center of the photograph is the entrance to the room.
A partial wall with frosted windows separated the bedroom area from the sitting room area — to a point, as there was no door, curtain or other divider to completely separate the two areas.
The Bedroom
I had no problem falling asleep in what is called the Hyatt Grand Bed, which was comfortable.
On the right side of the bed on the nightstand was a telephone, a notepad, a pen, an information placard, and a device in which to plug in two electrical plugs as well as two USB cables.
On the left side of the bed was a clock radio with which you can plug in your portable electronic device if you wanted to listen — or wake up — to your own music. This alarm clock was easy to use; and instructions were printed right on the top of it.
This view from the bed shows the open yet partially divided area between the bedroom and the sitting area — as well as the vanity area for the open bathroom and closet.
The large television with a 42-inch flat screen was on a storage area of sorts which straddled the bedroom and sitting areas, creating a somewhat odd setup with which both areas share the one television — and in addition to the input area which was located on the left side behind the television…
…was this panel — which is built into the aforementioned storage are — gives options if you want to plug in one of your own portable electronic devices to use the television to view what you want on the large screen.
The Bathroom
In the photograph on the right is the aforementioned coffee maker, which was located adjacent to the entrance of the room — and in the photograph on the left behind the television was the closet, which was to the left of the open vanity area of the bathroom.
The mirrored door to the closet never was properly aligned on its tracks; so it was difficult to open. My attempts to fix it failed because the tracks — either on the door or on the floor — were faulty.
On the right of the open vanity area — which strangely contained drawers, as the bedroom area was not equipped with a dresser, bureau or chest of drawers — was the private section of the bathroom, which contained a shower and a toilet.
Toiletries included a “massage” bar of soap — which is soap with the bumps on it; shampoo and conditioner; and a cleansing bar of soap. All of the products are from Barney Kenet, who is a board-certified dermatologist based in New York and is regarded as a master in the field of cosmetic medicine.
The fan in the bathroom was incredibly noisy; and the toilet paper was cheap — as in one ply and not two ply — and not soft, smooth or strong. I expect to find this kind of toilet paper in the cheapest of motor inns and not a Hyatt Place hotel property. An ample amount of towels were in the room; and a mat to prevent slipping in what felt like an older bathtub.
The shower head also seemed to show its age as well.
The View From the Room
After a restful sleep, I was treated to the dawning of a new day when I awoke the next morning.
I spent a few moments mindful of the Virginia sunrise which launched the brand new day.
My room had a view of the front entrance of the hotel property and its surroundings — as well as the rest of the parking lot out front.
The Food at Breakfast
According to what was attached to the magnetic bar above the desk, Friday was Burrito Bowl day — not exactly something to which I was looking forward for breakfast the next morning.
I found these two placards in the lobby area when I went to have the complimentary breakfast, which was served in the guest kitchen off of the lobby area between 6:30 and 9:00 in the morning Mondays through Fridays; and between 7:00 and 10:00 in the morning Saturdays and Sundays. The rooms apparently were to be renovated by the end of 2018 — so it stands to reason that they should be completed by now. My room was apparently not renovated yet.
A choice of booths and tables at which to sit are located in the lobby area. A flat screen television is on the wall in the background.
The condiments supplied at each table in the lobby area — the entrance to the guest kitchen is in the background — included Tabasco sauce, which was handy for a Burrito Bowl. Note that the table was not clean.
Prior to entering the guest kitchen is a coffee and tea station.
Interestingly, no bread was supplied at the Bread Box station…
…rather, assorted breads were located in a plastic bin with four individual doors. A toaster and microwave oven is available for use.
Red and green apples, oranges, blackberries, yogurt, cottage cheese and hard boiled eggs are available at the Bowls station — as well as condiments in individual containers.
These bowls contain hard boiled eggs and blackberries; and on the left side are assorted toppings.
Cranberry juice, orange juice and milk are some of the beverages you will find at The Fridge station.
The Skillets station contained hard waffles and ingredients for the burrito bowl — including corn, black beans and salsa. On the right are single servings of assorted cold cereals.
The view of the lobby area from within the guest kitchen shows the bar area and sitting area. A long table is inside of the guest kitchen area.
This was what I had for breakfast.
This is another area near the lobby where people can eat or relax.
Vehicles which are powered by electricity can be recharged in a choice of two parking spots — seemingly at no additional cost.
Summary
The room rate for the night was $87.12, which was the Member Rate Exclusive rate for members of the World of Hyatt frequent guest loyalty program. The total which I paid for the room — which included a sales tax of 5.3 percent and an occupancy tax of eight percent — was $98.71.
The new free breakfast policy — that only members of the World of Hyatt frequent guest loyalty program who book their reservations directly with Hyatt instead of through third parties will qualify for breakfast to be included with their stays when paying an eligible rate — was not yet in effect when I stayed at this hotel property…
…but even though I do like a free breakfast in the morning, I really did not see what was the big deal about free breakfast being offered at Hyatt Place hotel properties — and I still do not see it.
I did not check out the swimming pool or fitness center while I was staying at this hotel property.
Other than a few minor “hiccups”, I had no problem accessing the Internet via the complimentary Wi-Fi which is available to all guests.
I recommend staying at this Hyatt Place hotel property mainly due to the unusual layout of the room and the comfortable bed — and the room rate was reasonable, as I believe that I received a good value for the price I paid — but for breakfast, I prefer the Hampton Inn Chester, at which I declared that I arguably had the best breakfast ever at a Hampton Inn.
Perhaps the refreshed rooms will add value to the experience of staying at this particular Hyatt Place hotel property.
Hyatt Place Richmond/Chester
13148 Kingston Avenue
Chester, Virginia 23836
1-804-530-4600
All photographs ©2018 by Brian Cohen.
